


You Must Love Me

by orphan_account



Category: God of War (Video Games)
Genre: Atreus is Kind of Dumb for a God (God of War), Atreus is whiney, But that's tea for another day, Don't Like Don't Read, Fimbulwinter, Gods, Kratos is intense, M/M, Mimir is done with Kratos, Not Beta Read, Parent/Child Incest, Post-God of War, Protective Kratos (God of War), Size Difference, Slow Build, Small Towns, The townsfolk don't understand Kratos and Atreus like at all, The townspeople are pretttty sure Atreus is being forced to stay with Kratos and being abused, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23105212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Atreus and Kratos arrive at the village by dawn. It's a tiny solemn town, but a heavy oppression seems to brood in the air, despite it's lazy nature.
Relationships: Atreus & Kratos (God of War), Atreus & Mimir (God of War), Atreus/Kratos (God of War), Kratos & Mimir (God of War)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

Why are you at my side?  
How can I be, any use to you now?  
Give me a chance, and I'll let you see how  
Nothing has changed

**— You Must Love Me**

Chapter One

Atreus and Kratos arrive at the village by dawn. It's a tiny solemn town, but a heavy oppression seems to brood in the air, despite it's lazy nature.

The snow covers the trees in faint sheets. A blanket of pure and unbothered white. The snow is less dense and heavy here than it is back home. Back home the snow is piles upon piles, never ceasing.

"I spy, something white." Mimir rouses from Kratos' hip. His eyes blink up at Atreus sluggishly.

"I don't know little brother. Is it snow?"

Atreus laughs. "Yeah. You got me." 

"Atreus." 

Father's deeper octave echoes across the snow driven land. Atreus looks up to the larger man; his eyes rivaling the bluest lakes across Midgar. The young god readies himself for an enemy attack, placing a tentative hand on his quiver. 

"Yes, Father?" Atreus answers in a manner nervous, but anxious to please.

"Stay close."

The boy peers over at where Kratos is staring; his amber eyes assessing the man in front of them. The man is tall, but not as tall as Kratos. The man is also around middle-aged with brown hair and a wary expression stretched across his comcerned visage. 

"Hey, are you two travellers?" The man's voice is modulated and low. "I'm Aspel."

Aspel takes a few steps closer to the duo, but stops as Kratos brandishes his axe— the Leviathan. The head jostles at the hip of Kratos, a voice of reason. 

"Hey! Hey now, brother. I don't think that's necessary!" Mimir exasperates, suddenly very alert and very chatty. Kratos doesn't lower the weapon. 

"Uh. If you guys are looking for someplace to stay the Inn is open." The man points down futher where a stout woman stands in the doorway watching the interaction closely.

Atreus watches the man with a childish confidence. "Father. We can stay, right?" Kratos puts the Leviathan down, staring at the man, Aspel, then at his overzealous son. "Fatherrr, please?" Atreus whines tugging at Kratos' arm. "I thought you would be reasonable."

"Fine." The man grumbles. Aspel smiles kindly at the two travellers. 

* * *

"I'm Atreus! And this is my Father, Krat—"

"Boy," Kratos bites out. Warning the child to be cautious of his relentlessly loud mouth. Atreus shrinks back, but doesn't stop smiling. The woman at the front doesn't seem to mind the boy though. Her face brightens when she sees him.

"Oh, that's quite alright. My name is Astryd, I'm the Inn keeper here." 

Astryd is a short woman in stature, but large and pillowy everywhere else. Her hair is lengthy even when braided. She has a shine to her eyes and a giggle to her soul, which Atreus can see almost immediately.

Kratos just sees another woman.

"You'll be staying upstairs three door to the right."

"Hmm," Kratos mumbles, heading up the stairs seeing no other reason for more useless words. Atreus waves to the woman.

"He means, thanks alot."

"Boy!"

Atreus rolls his eyes at that. "That means I should probably go. See you later Astryd!"

Atreus hovers in the doorway of the bedroom. It's standard. Two beds pushed to opposite sides of the room, a dresser. Brown drapes over the window that looks out onto the small town main dirt road. Mimir has his eyes closed, father set him on the dresser.

Kratos is laying on the bed nearest to the door. Having already claimed it. Atreus goes to the other bed and sets his bow and quiver down, his brow furrows at the sight of a exhausted Kratos.

"Father, are you okay?" Atreus lays a hand on the older man's arm. He doesn't pull away as Atreus thinks he would. The flesh is warm and alive underneath the buds of Atreus' fingertips.

"I'm tired..." The man expresses, his face stony and cold against the pillow.

Atreus only smiles at his father indulgently, as climbs into the too small bed with him shaking off his shoes. The child is much too big to be cuddling, and Kratos acknowledges this with a weary look and a subtle push away from the boy.

"Atreus," Kratos warns. His tone nipping at the child. "Return to your own bed to rest."

"Well, I just thought if you're tired we can take a nap together," Atreus whispers thickly, struggling to keep his own eyes open. "Remember, we used to share beds when I got sick. _All the time._ I remember, mother used to go out to gather fruit, and would ask you to stay. You used to be scared." Atreus smiles dreamily, eyes lulled with love and heat. "Back then, you were like a stranger to me."

Kratos remembers those times. Times when Kratos knew nothing of his son, but his sickness and his hate.

"I love you father. Thanks for agreeing to leave home, even for a lil'while..." The child trails off tiredly. Kratos brings his hand up to cup the side of his son's boyish face, he feels warm from the boy's statement.

"You are welcome."

* * *

Atreus stirs before his father. Alert and awake he stares up at the ceiling. It's warm in the bed. His father's large frame is halfway draped over him halfway curled around him. Atreus feels safe like this, but he still wants to go outside and talk to new people.

Atreus is careful not to disturb his father. Kratos has always been a light sleeper, and Atreus would feel bad if he woke him up. The child finally frees himself after struggling.

Downstairs it's quiet.

The Inn keeper is gone, but in her place is a boy. Probably five or six years older than Atreus. The boy has sharpened features. A longer face and nose with brown scruff growing at his chin. The boys blank gaze was chilling. 

"You must be Atreus. My mother won't shut up about you. I'm Frode, Astryd's son." The other boy makes no attempt to shake hands, just stares at Atreus with no discernible emotion.

Awkwardly, Atreus smiles at the mortal boy, open and friendly. Frode's face falls to stern lines. As the older boy is about to say something else, Astryd makes an appearance at the main doors. The sound of the doors startles Atreus.

The woman looks irritable, but not mad. She peels off an outter layer of furs and sets them door near the fire at the other end of the Inn.

"You wouldn't believe that man, gah!"

The woman throws up her hands. Her chubby face scrunched in discontentment. This is when she notices Atreus standing infront of her son.

"Oh."

She stops in her tracks, staring at Atreus. Her lips loosened into a exultant smile and Astryd makes her way to the younger boy. Her motherly figure comforting to the young god. "How good to see you awake Atreus. I thought you and your father surely would have slept the day away." Her voice subtle coaxing inflections.

"Perhaps you would like some food? I have plenty to serve." She says, calmly with the same inflections.

"Okay," Atreus agrees.

~~

Atreus eats the soup and bread slowly, as watchful eyes peered at him. Astryd was nice, but her lingering presence was starting to feel daunting. Frode left earlier, and Atreus is starting to feel relieved he did.

"How old are you child?"

"I'm 10, I'll be 11 soon."

"Just a wee babe then. No reason for you to be on the road." Astryd pauses "Are you and your father travelling alot lately?"

"We got home from a long journey three months ago. I wanted to get out just recently."

The woman nods understandably. "Your father," Astryd hums. "Quite an interesting man."

Atreus finds himself nodding. Looking down at the soup in front of him, the boy smiles to himself.

"Yeah, we didn't always get along. I feel like we're better now than we ever have been. Father actually cares, he doesn't leave all the time! He let's me talk to people and trusts me with big decisions!" A forboding silence stretches over the two. This silence is only broken by the thundering steps coming from upstairs.

"Boy? Where are you?"

At the sound of his father, Atreus snaps his gaze up on command. 

"In here father!" The boy yells from the eating hall. A few moments later Kratos hovers in the doorway, but doesn't move. In his hands are the boy's bow and quiver. He looks at Astryd profoundly mistrustful of the kind Inn keeper. "Do you want some Father?" Atreus motions toward the wooden bowl, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Kratos' eyes the bowl, the question falling on deaf ears.

"We have to continue your training."

Kratos' expression is grave and authoritative. Atreus sighs, knowing he had no clever way out of training. His gaze falters before completely falling. The child turns to Astryd offering her his best "sorry for the inconvenience" face.

Astryd laughs. "What, do you not like bow training Atreus?"

Atreus shakes his head. "It's okay," Atreus mumbles, sounding unconvinced. Father is impatient. Atreus knows he doesn't have time to talk anymore.

"Bye, Astryd." Atreus waves to the Inn keeper as he retrieves his bow and quiver.

"Goodbye Atreus, have fun with your bow training, child!" The woman waves to the boy, cleaning up the rest of the soup. As he leaves the Inn her smile ceases and her eyes waver. Something was wrong with those two.

* * *

Training with father isn't like it used to be. It's difficult. Atreus has gotten better at the bow. Relay time lower. Speed and accuracy higher.

Hand to hand is still troublesome, it makes Atreus mad everytime he tries it. The boy is suprised father even wants to train in hand to hand after the last incident.

"Attack me," Kratos commands.

Atreus hesitates. It's noticeable in the childish quiver of his limbs.

"Attack me."

The words have a finality to them that makes Atreus run at his father. The man blocks, counter-attacking for each hit Atreus actually lands. It's frustrating. Atreus jumps, trying to land a blow from up rather than below. Kratos blocks that too, and delievers a knockout blow to the child's ribs.

Atreus whines, picking himself up from the snow.

"You know the rules boy, you have to land a hit before we stop." Atreus slams his hand on the ground, angry at his father's stupid rules.

"That's not fair and you know it! I can't do it you're too strong!" Kratos shakes his head, disappointed in the younger god.

"It's not a question of strength Atreus. It's a question of wit and strategy."

Atreus runs toward the older god, his ribs screaming at him to stop. He tries to land a hit on Kratos' side, but the man grabs him at the forearm and slams him back into the dirty snow. 

"I hate you!" Atreus screams. "I fucking hate you! I'll fucking kill you."

It's that insatiable rage again. Atreus hates the rage. It's not him, never him. It's like an extra limb that does what it wants. The young god is aware of the emotion that courses through him like a disease, but even if he wants to stop his mouth from forming angry words and his body from hitting.

Atreus runs at his father again, this time with intent in his eyes. He lands hit after hit, but his father calmly stares at him and pulling him into a leaning hug.

"Get away!" Atreus screeches, clawing at the god. His father holds him, and the rage retreats until it's a scratching at the back of his mind. The boy looks at his father and relaxes.

"Are you okay?" Kratos asks. The worry in his voice endearing. The boy nods sullenly afraid to speak.

"I'm fine." Atreus grows slack, his body like liquid, especially after a rage fit like that. "M' sorry," Atreus mumbles.

* * *

"Oh dear."

Astryd is cleaning at the front when Kratos arrives with Atreus gathered in his arms. While, the boy is looking dainty and small in his father's arms Kratos is stone faced. The woman places the wet rag on the front counter. Her lips are tucked into a gaurded frown.

"What happened?" The woman inquires, not meaning to snoop. Kratos glances apprehensively at the woman. He adjusts his hold on the child.

"Nothing. He was tired. We came back."

Astryd looks at the blunt bruises on Atreus' face and hums in mild discomfort. She chews at her lips. A disgusting habit her ma had before her, and her ma's ma had before her.

Kratos disappears upstairs.

That man wasn't fit to have a child. Especially one like Atreus. Everything seemed to cry out against it, but here they were.

~~

"This trip is pointless," Kratos grumbles in irritation. The head stares at the god, stricken.

"The child craves his father, he just wants to be with you, brother. He wanted to go on this trip, because he felt like you were going back to how you were before the Filbulwinter. Before the ashes, before Baldur, the dwarves and Freya. He doesn't want you to go away."

Kratos leers at Atreus. His gaze soft, even with his hardened amber eyes. He lays a hand on his son's resting face. Cold. Atreus is always cold.

Mimir pretends not to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha. I haven't played GoW in soooo longgg. Anyways, y'all really sleeping on BrightnessOfAStar aren't you? Like? They really out here holding this ship up with their bare hands 💯 respect.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kratos knows the boy is hiding something from him, but he does not approach Atreus on the matter despite his urge to demand answers from the child.

That boy, Atreus, Looks to his father for everything. Whether it be a nod of approval, or a grunt of discourage. Astryd herself never knew what the reticent man wanted when he stared at her blankly from the far side of the inn, but the young boy seemed fine picking up on what Kratos wanted. 

Astryd only knew her father as a hollow and cruel man, not unlike Kratos, her father was a tough and burly man with a no nonsense attitude. The men seemed to also share this undying anger resting at the pit of their souls. Astyrd watches the man; studies him, wondering what story those red markings told. 

"Quit your staring woman." The man grumbles, not even lifting his head to talk to her. Kratos' voice is nothing but a low growl that made Astryd shudder as an instinctual fear settles in her gut.

"He speaks!" Astryd announces to the empty room, throwing her oil rag down at her feet. Astryd's smile dims as she turns back toward the unforecoming man. "Where'd your babe head off to?" She asks a tinge of curiousity piercing the words. Kratos glances up at her his golden eyes filled with laden suspicion. The man looks down at his axe once again. Words stuck in his throat.

"..."

"Ah, he took the head with him did he not? What's the story behind that... The severed head?" Astryd looks up innocently, but from the way the man's jaw clenches she can see she has prodded at something better left untouched. 

The man remains quiet for a while. This nosy woman. He thinks to himself.

"None of your business." Kratos answers, unapologetically cruel to the Inn keeper. 

"Well what of the boy's mother, surel-"

"His mother is...Gone."

"Oh." Astryd knows that pain. The pain of losing your love. An awkward silence befalls the Inn. Astryd opens her mouth to say somsthing, but then closes it too afraid of further offending the man. 

Kratos gets up, Astryd lets him watching as he retrieves his axe from between the wooden floorboards. Despite how long Faye has been gone, it still pains the man to say that. Gone. Dead. The thing as in not of this or any other realms anymore. 

"Where are you going?" She wants to ask, but reluctantly she remains silent. 

Kratos opens the door leading into the outside the Inn. Astryd jumps from the sheer force, surprised the man hadn't ripped the door right off the hinges. "Hey!" She chimes, but the man only steps out and closes the door behind him. 

* * *

"Mimir," Atreus calls to the head at his side, the snow is growing deeper around him. It eats up his legs, stopping short at his knees. 

"Yeah lad?" The head glances at the distraught boy. The wind is dreadfully cold; whipping at the boy's already numbing face. 

"Do you think we'll be safe here?"

Atreus wasn't sure if he should tell the head about the strange dreams he's been experiencing lately surrounding Thor, Ragnarok and this everlasting winter.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we're safe. Why do you ask?" 

"Hmm... It's a Secret." Atreus offered with a poor smile. The boy knows better than to trust Mimir with a secret. The head told father everything, even when he didn't mean to. Atreus stops as something dark moves along the frostbitten foliage near the edge of the trees lining the perimeter of village. The young god gasps, enthusiasm warming his blood as he readied his bow for the hunt. "Look Mimir! A rabbit!" Calls the child. Ever since Fimbulwinter started wildlife has become something of a scarcity. 

"Ah? What's that lad? A rabbit, my what a discovery!" The head chimes with sugary enthusiasm. "Don't lose sight of it now!" Mimir insisted; subtly encouraging the child. Atreus nods blindly as he approaches the rabbit.

"I won't," Atreus mutters, drawing his bow string back to his chest and letting it rip through the air. The arrow pierces the snow doing nothin more than scare the rabbit away. Atreus clicks his tongue. "I almost had it!" 

"Ah, Laddie perhaps you should slow down!" 

"I'm fine!" 

The boy stops short of the clearing the rabbit had ducked into. A frightening shade of crimson disturbs the purely white driven snow. Atreus stares at the puddle of blood for a while, frozen as his eyes reluctantly trail back up to the stranger in front of him. He has these wolfish amber eyes like limpid pools of gold that adorned his ashen face. Dark red hair tumbled over his shoulders like molten lava braided only sporadically on the crown of his head and throughout his lengthy beard. The man looked unreal. On his back is a longbow, diligently carved and decorated with runes Atreus couldn't quite make out. 

A grin spread dangerous across the stranger's bloodied lips. "Is this yours, little hunter?" The man calls; holding up the now dead prey. His voice is stretched thin with a well placed accent not as heavy as Mimir's. Atreus doesn't move for a while, unsure whether he should answer the man. The stranger is brazen as he takes a stride forward. This only prompts Atreus to take another step back. 

"No. It's not."

The man only grins in response. Quickly, throwing the corpse of the rabbit at the boy's feet. "It's alright, you can have it, little hunter."

"I don't want it." 

The stranger flashes a mischievous smile toward the boy. Carefully, he picks the gutted rabbit up by it's hind legs. "You sure? It's still..." The man pauses to smell the animal. Atreus doesn't have to be any closer to know it smells rich of blood and iron. "Ripe," the stranger breathes out, stalking forward to wipe some of the blood off on the boy's cheek.

"Leave me alone!" Atreus calls pushing the stranger away and rushing back the way he came. 

Mimir is silent for the mintues after the endeavour. "Lad?" He started. Atreus struggles through the snow, throwing an occasional glance over his shoulder and at the clearing. "Laddie!"

"What?" The boy calls, breathless as he scrambles back to the Inn. 

"You know we have to tell your pa about that man."

"No, then we'll have to leave!" Atreus protests, relief washing over his tensing body as the Inn comes to view alongside the rest on the tired, snow covered village. Astryd's son, Frode, stood in the front of the door chopping large blocks of fire wood into more sustainable pieces. The boy looks up, one heavy brow slanted in sharp disapproval.

"What happened to your face?" Grey eyes strayed to the spot of blood on the boy's face. Frode drops his axe to the frozen chilled grass and brings his hand up to the boy's cheek. Atreus flinches back as the teen touches the chilled blood. 

"Boy?" 

The sound of Kratos makes Atreus straighten his posture. 

"Father!" The child exclaims, full eyes vague in imploring his father's direct attention. The man is carrying more firewood for Frode to cut up in his arms. The god drops the pile at the teen's feet and turns toward his son. His eyes are all consuming as a Kratos wrenches his gaze away from the boy's eyes, and to Atreus' bloodied cheek. The god pokes the frozen blood with his knuckle. 

"What happened?" Kratos questioned in a dead yet warmful tone that made Atreus' belly feel full of caged butterflies exploding and beating their wings against his chest. 

"Uh. Nothing," Atreus lies, feeling himself tense waiting for Mimir to say something. The head is silent, yet Atreus could feel him judging at his side. "There was a dead rabbit I was messing around with, and some blood got on me."

Atreus knows if Mimir had a neck he would have shook his head in disappointment. 

* * *

Kratos knows the boy is hiding something from him, but he does not approach Atreus on the matter despite his urge to demand answers from the child. Atreus looks up at him from his place at the counter; blue eyes unique to only him and his mother are quick to dart away in haste. 

"Nice job chopping those herbs Atreus." Astryd compliments, running her hand through the boy's hair. Atreus smiles up at the woman. It's a bittersweet sight. Laufey. Kratos shakes his head. No, Faye was a wonderful mother to Atreus. Attentive and caring. Everything Kratos was not. 

\-----

Kratos lays in bed, eyes fixed at the swirling darkness above him unable to sleep. The sound of that woman's loud laughter and her son's disinterested sighs fill his head. Behind his eyelids, Kratos can't stop envisioning Atreus looking at them from his side of the table; staring at these people as if they were his family. 

The sound of creaking wood distracts Kratos, his muscles tense as he glances over at where the sound had orginated from. Atreus stares at him with an agonized expression. Kratos props himself up. "What is it?" He asks in a hushed tone. Atreus lets this gasped noise from his throat...A whine of some sort. 

Atreus climbs into the bed without warning. His hands, so small, trail up to Kratos' neck bringing the man closer to him as the child sighs into his warmth.

"Atreus—" Kratos starts, uncomfortably. 

"I don't think I like being a god." Atreus whispers cutting the man off. Suddenly, Kratos feels unbelievable pity for the child. "I lied to you today, father." Atreus whispers. His voice absorbing the stubborn silence. The child looks up at his father. Blue clashing against amber. 

"Lied about what, boy?" Kratos' voice has a depth that makes Atreus' belly feel funny again. The boy has to breathe a few times before he's ready to answer. Atreus slides his hands over his father's arms. Father was never as touchy as mother, more of a protector than a lover, yet father is still and calm as Atreus touches his battle worn skin. 

The child looks down at where their skin connects, still feeling the heat of father's eyes on him. "Promise you won't get mad?" 

"Atreus." The man warns. 

"Today, I saw a rabbit, but it was alive." Atreus pauses, unable to stop himself from looking back at Kratos' eyes. The man hums in acknowledgement, the noise is low in his chest making it rumble. "I chased it, but someone killed it before I could catch up with it. He was weird kept insisting I take the rabbit. He smeared some blood on my face then I ran away."

The story brings forth an impossible amount of anger in Kratos, but he quells that sudden rage. The boy should have told him the truth. This mysterious man could bring forth a whole slew of dangerous things for them. "You should have told me the truth Atreus, no excuses." 

"I know, I'm sorry." The boy sounds young and tired. 

"We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"But, are you mad—"

"Boy..."

\-----

Ullr hates the way the ugly village is tucked so neatly between the trees, he almost misses it the first time. Despite his increasingly bad mood he manages to smile at the thought of the boy with the unsettling blue eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toss a coin to the author~ I mean— Thank you for reading! Please put down the pitchforks! I swear I have a good reason this chapter was so late....
> 
> *cricket noises*
> 
> 🏃💨


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